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Finally I found I decent internet cafe which is charging anormal price. So, now I have the time to write an update for you. Since I gotsome complaints about the really short summaries of my stories in English, thistime Ix92ll do it the other way round and first write in English.
On Wednesday last week I arrived in Lao. However Joreen andI were supposed to be there one day earlier but the travel agent screwed upwith our visa so we had to wait one and a half day longer. On Monday in themiddle of the night we were dropped off at the border between Thailand and Lao.There we could sleep for four hours before departure to Lao the next morning. Ityhougt it was gonna be a lot of paper work at the boarder since theauthorities over there can do whatever they want but it was nothing like that and within halfan hour we had our visa for Lao. I donx92t understand why it took the travelagent one week to find out that she couldnx92t arrange one for us. Thai peoplex85
The boat trip to Luang Prabang in the Northern of Lao tooktwo days. The first day was okay because we had the really luxury seats whichwere actually car seats placed on the boat. We stayed overnight in a smallvillage called Pak Beng were we supposed to be in bed at ten because there wasno electricity. But we were really exhausted from the boat trip and after afree shot of Tiger whiskey, which was burning like hell, and a Lao beer (1liter) I felt like it was somewhere around midnight. The second day was badbecause this time there was no VIP treatment for us and we had to sit on woodenchairs for eight hours. But when we arrived in Luang Prabang it was alreadyforgotten. LP is a really nice city, which is quite with all the restaurantsand travel agencies. But it still has a nice and Lao atmosphere and with thefriendly Lao people you feel more then welcome.
I stayed in LP with Joreen, Rachel and Shelly (which two wemet on the boat). The first day we just walked around the city, visited somemuseum and I had a fantastic Aroma therapy massage for just 4,50 euro. Thesecond day we went to the waterfall Tat Kuang Si. This was the most beautifulone I ever! Itx92s hard to explain but when you see the photos maybe you knowwhat I mean. There was also a swimming pool on the top and however it was not allowedto go there, we made the trip up through the waterfall. It was really dangerousand the way back was even worse, but the thing we got up there is hard todescribe. It was amazing! The water was blue like pictures in a holidaymagazine only this time they hadnx92t used Photo shop to make it even more blue.After we took a plunge in the water and looked around for a while, weunfortunately had to go back because the tuk tuk was leaving. But before that Ihad a great x91Me Tarzan, you Janex92-experience with a real Tarzan-swing in one ofthe lower swimming pools. It was an amazing day and it only got better when wesaw the sunset that night from Phu Si in the middle of the city centre.
On Saturday I was leaving LP for Muang Ngoi, a tiny villageat the Mekong-river. It was like going back in the time for 80 years orsomething. There was no electricity, women were doing the laundry in the riverand children were playing on the x91streetx92 with tolls. There were sometelephones but there was no internet. I had a really nice river-bungalow with anice hammock on the balcony. The only thing I did for two days was hangingthere and reading some books. I also did a little walk but I was too exhaustedto go to village or something.
On Monday I went back to LP to go further to Vang Vieng. Idecided to go by public bus to have this experience at least once in alifetime. I heard terrible stories about it before but I think I was luckysince the bus only broke down once during my trip and within a couple of hoursI arrived in LP. In the bus I met Scams, James and William. The two guys weretravelling together and Scams just met them a couple of days before. They alsohad the plan to go to Vang Vieng the next day so we decided to share a roomsince this is cheaper then sleep on your own. Still, itx92s only 2 euro to rent aroom in LP but Ix92m on a budget now.
Next day we went to Vang Vieng with a minibus where I metFraukje and Monique, two wonderfull girls from Amsterdam. Although I wasplanning to stay in Vang Vieng for 1 day, I was there 3 days and it wasamazing. VV is famous about his tubing because it has a couple of bars next tothe river and you can only reach some with a tube. Itx92s hard to explain if youhavenx92t been there, but is was fantastic! There were swings and slides all overthe river and people were making the weirdest moves! I only tried the big swingsince I heard that in the last year 7 people died by using the swings and theslide. And I can imagine because the situation there is sooooooooooooodangerous! Ix92m sure that such a thing will be closed immediately in Europe buthere itx92s still allowed. I didnx92t see some accidents but I heard a couple ofincidents of broken ankles and ribs. However, it was one big party at the barson the riverside and the buckets with whiskey and vodka were disappearing inquick tempo! And the mud fights at the last bar made it even more fun!! Maybeit was not the most interesting place Ix92ve been in Lao but for sure it was thefunniest thing Ix92ve done till now!!
Yesterday I said goodbye to the girls and left to Pakse withScams. We took a sleeping bus which was a really new experience for me. It wasobvious that the buses were not made for western people since they were only1,70m long (I was glad that I just fitted in) and maybe 1,10m wide. Lucky Scamsand I are not big at all so we fitted in and had enough room. But we saw acouple with the big and fat English man and a tiny Thai woman and I felt reallysorry for her. Not only because it was obvious that they were not in love atall (probably she was a mailorder bride or something) but also there was nospace left for here on the bed. Poor girlx85
Now Ix92m in Pakse with Scams and tonight James and Williamwill arrive too. Later today I going to book a trip to the Bolaven Plateau andthe waterfalls and on Tuesday Ix92ll go down south to 4000 islands for a coupleof days. At the end of next week Ix92ll leave Lao for Cambodia.
For everybody who was asking: Yes, hex92s coming to Asia!
Eric will arrive in Bangkok at the 20th of july and then wex92ll flyimmediately to Kuala Lumpur. Ix92m really looking forward to see him again sinceI miss him so much!!!
Dit keer eenkorte nederlandse update aangezien de uitgebreide versie hierboven in hetEngels staat.
Vorige weekben ik na 2 dagen op de boot in Laos aangekomen. De eerste dag op de boot wasniet heel erg, omdat we echte VIP-plaatsen hadden (dit houdt in: stoelen vaneen gestripte Toyata-bus), maar de tweede dag was heel erg. We moesten 8 uurlang op een houten bankje zitten met een enorm lawaay van de motor op deachtergrond. Het lukt mx92n MP3-speler niet om over de herrie heen te komen. Maarde bestemming was de tocht meer dan waard. Luang Prabang is een leuk kleuinstadje in de het noorden van Laos. Hoewel het best toeristisch is, zijn demensen heel vriendelijk en hangt er nog steeds een goede sfeer.
In LP ben iksamern met Joreen, Rachel en Shelly naar de waterval geweest. Dit was echtsupermooi! We zijn met gevaar voor eigen leven helemaal naar boven geklommen,de x91do not passx92 bordjes eigenwijs negerend. Maar x92t resultaat was fantastisch!(zie fotox92s). Ook heb ik nog ff de Jane uitgehangen, was echt lachen.
Na LP ben ikin mx92n eentje naar Muang Ngoi gegaan. Dit is een heel klein plaatsje aan deMekong waar je 80 jaar terug in de tijd gaat. Er is geen electriciteit, devrouwen wassen je kleren met de hand in de rivier en de kinderen spelen er nogmet tollen. Het was echt een nieuwe gewaarwording voor mij. Mx92n bungalow leekzo uit een vakantiebrochure gerold te zijn inclusief bamboedak en hangmat op deveranda. Ik heb hier dan ook heerlijk twee dagen gerelaxed en een beetjerondgewandeld.
Maandagavondwas ik weer terug in LP om de volgende morgen door te gaan naar Vang Vieng.Vang Vieng staat bekend om het tuben op de rivier. Er zijn hier een aantalbarretjes langs de rivier waar je dan met je zwemband naar toe gaat. Destroming is best sterk en er staan locals langs de kant om je reddingsboeientoe te gooien. Alle barren verkopen emmertjes met vodka en whiskey, die opeensonzettend hard gaan als het zo warm is. Daarnaast heeft elke bar een swing ofeen glijbaan die stuk voor stuk levensgevaarlijk zijn! Ze zijn ontzettend hoogen zeker als mensen gedronken hebben is het niet ondenkbaar dat mensen opelkaar in x92t water belanden. Ik hoorde dat afgelopen jaar er zeker 7 mensenzijn omgekomen hier. Echt ongelovelijk dat dit nog bestaat. Maar x92t was verderecht onwijs gaaf en samen met Fraukje en Monique, twee onwijs toffe wijven uitAmsterdam, heb ik dan ook een fantastische tijd gehad!
Gister zijnScams en ik met de slaapbus naar Pakse gegaan. Dit was een geheel nieuweervaring. De beddenw aren slechts 1,70m lang en 1,10m breed. Nu paste ik er nogwel redelijk makkelijk in samen met Scams omdat we allebei best smal zijn, maarik had medelijden met een Thais postorderbruidje dat haar bed moest delen meteen onwijs dikke engelsman…Vooral omdat ze echt helemaal niet gelukkig leekmet haar echtgenoot… Echt zielig…
En nu ben ikdus in Pakse. Hier blijf ik voor een paar dagen voordat ik naar 4000 islandsga. Vandaag ff rustig aan, omdat ik me niet helemaal goed voel. Waarschijnlijkiets verkeerds gegeten of het is de afschuwelijke hoeveelheid alcohol van deafgelopen dagen. Maar mij hoor je niet klagen, want zojuist heb ik een vluchtgeboekt van Bangkok naar Kuala Lumpur… voor 2 personen!!! Vorige week heeftEric zx92n vlucht naar Bangkok geboekt dus we gaan 3 weken lang samen Maleisieonveilig maken. Heb er ontzettend veel zin in!!